Covered roller



E. J. SVOBODA COVERED ROLLER Sept. 17 1940.

Filed Oct. 7, 1958 Patented Sept. 17, 1940 PATENT OFFlCE COVERED ROLLER Edward J. Svoboda, Berwyn, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 7, 1938, Serial No. 233,781

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a roller construction and more particularly to a light weight metal roller and a frictional driving cover therefor.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a roller construction having means for attaching thereto a simple, strong and inexpensive cover, or the like, to increase the driving traction of the roller.

An important object is to provide this means in a manner permitting the cover to be readily and easily secured toor detached from the roller.

And another object is to provide this means in a manner permitting the cover to be attached to the roller by insertion of the means either radially or transversely with respect to the periphery of the roller.

Briefly and specifically, these and other desirable objects are attained in one preferred form of the invention in which a roller is preferably formed of sheet metal, the one-piece sheet metal element making up the surface of the roller being formed cylindrical and having its opposite, transverse, peripheral edges disposed in spaced relation to provide a transverse peripheral slot or opening in the roller. A cover element composed of fabric, or the like, is formed at one transverse end portion with a loop which is inserted in the aforesaid slot or opening. A fastening element in the form of a bar of elongated cross-section is passed through the loop, tending to distend the loop radially inwardly of the slot or opening to secure that endof the cover to the roller; the remainder of the cover being wrapped substantially about the roller which may or may not be secured at its other end to the roller, as desired.

A further understanding of the objects and important features of the invention, as will be evident to those skilled in the art, may be had from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a preferred form of roller, cover and securing means therefor;

Figure 2 is a plan elevational view of the same; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a modified form of the means for securing the cover to the roller.

Looking now to Figures 1 and 2, a cylindrical roller I0, preferably formed of sheet metal, is indicated as being provided with a transverse opening or slot II in its periphery. In a sheet metal roller of the light weight type, this slot is formed by the disposition in spaced relation of the opposite transverse ends of the sheet metal element making up the outer surface of the roller proper. To further reenforce the roller along the edges of the slots, the edge portions thereat are bent under and back, as at [2. The roller is suitably mounted for rotation with or with respect to a shaft i3.

A transverse sheet metal element I 4 is provided for the purpose of retaining the shape of the roller because of the division therein by the slot H and for the purpose of accommodating a securing means for securing a cover to the roller, as will appear later. The element ii is in the form of a sheet metal member substantially U-shaped and having opposite end or leg portions secured respectively to the inner surface of the surface member of the roller at opposite sides of the slot I l, as at it. The U-shaped portion of the member I 4 is substantially in radial alinement with the opening or slot H and extends radially inwardly therefrom to form a well, as at I6. From the foregoing description of a preferred construction, it will be readily seen that a similar opening or slot and well may be provided in rollers of other constructions, it being an important feature according to the present invention to provide the transverse opening substantially narrower in the periphery of the roller and diverging, or otherwise enlarged, radially inwardly of the periphery.

A cover element H formed of fabric, or the like, is wrapped around the roller H] for increasing the driving traction thereof. A transverse end portion of the cover I! is formed with a loop I8 which may be easily and readily made by turning back a portion thereof and stitching the same along the cover, as at E9. The looped portion of the cover I1 is inserted through the slot II and radially inwardly thereof into the well i6 formed by the member M. A securing element in the form of a bar 20 is passed through the loop IS. The bar 20 is elongated in crosssection, or otherwise has a narrow and a wider dimension. The wider dimension of the bar 20 is greater than the width of the slot H and the narrow dimension of the bar is less than the width of said slot.

As illustrated in the form of construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cover ii is wrapped substantially around the roller It and has a free and unsecured transverse end portion lying closely adjacent the slot H, as at 2!. In the modification shown in Figure 3, the end portion of the cover I1 is extended and is inserted, as at 22, into the slot H and engaged by the loop [8,

as distended by the insertion therethrough of the bar 20. This opposite end portion of the cover I! may be associated with the roller in any desired manner. I

The type of cover and the manner of attaching the same to the roller as shown in Figures 1 and 2 has proved satisfactory in instances where the roller is to be operated in one direction only, as indicated by the arrow in Figure l. The crosssectional area of the bar 20 enables the bar to be inserted in the loop either before or after the loop is inserted in the slot H, and in this manner the cover may be secured to the roller by insertion in the slot either radially inwardly or transversely of the roller. is to be applied to a roller driven in only one direction, the looped end of the cover may be secured to the roller in either of the aforesaid manners and the remaining unsecured portion of the cover is wrapped substantially around the roller in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation thereof. When a driving or conveyer belt is trained about the roller, the cooperation between the cover and the belt, as affected by the direction of rotation of the roller, will retain the cover substantially in place. As will be ob vious from Figure 3, the manner of securing the cover to the roller may be modified so as to secure the unlooped end of the cover to the roller.

From the foregoing description of one preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be seen that a novel roller construction and manner of mounting or securing a cover thereto have been provided through the medium of forming a loop at one end of the cover and distending the same to cooperate in the previously described manner with a transverse slot formed in the roller. It will be appreciated, of course, that numerous modifications and alterations may be made in the construction and manner of assembling the elements of the preferred device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a roller having a transverse peripheral slot, of a cover wrapped around the roller, said cover having a transverse end portion thereof formed with a loop fitting into the slot in the roller, the other transverse end of the cover being also fitted into the slot, and a securing element passed transversely through the loop for fastening the looped end of the cover to the roller at the slot, said element distending the loop to substantially engage the other end of the cover between a side portion of the slot in the roller and the loop.

2. A covered roller construction comprising a sheet metal roller formed with a transverse peripheral slot, a cover wrapped substantially around the roller, said cover having a transverse end portion thereof formed with a loop fitting into said slot and a transverse fastening element passed through the loop in the slot radially inwardly of the periphery of the roller and serving as the sole means for fastening at least the looped end of the cover to the roller at the slot, said fastening element having an elongated crosssection narrower in one direction and Wider in another direction than the width of the slot.

3. A covered roller construction comprising a Where the cover 0 roller formed with a transverse peripheral opening and adapted to rotate in one direction, said opening being narrow at the periphery of the roller and diverging radially inwardly of the roller, a cover for the roller having an end portion thereof formed with a transverse loop inserted in the opening, a securing element passed through the loop within the opening radially inwardly of the periphery of the roller, said element having a cross-sectional width greater than the Hwidth of the opening at the periphery of the roller and serving as the sole means for fastening the cover to the roller at its looped end, said cover being wrapped substantially about the roller in a direction opposed to the aforesaid direction of rotation.

4. The combination with a roller having a transverse peripheral slot, of a cover wrapped substantially around the roller and having its opposite transverse end portions lying within the slot, one end portion of the cover being formed with a loop, said looped portion being distended and fitted into the slot and engaging the other end of the cover within the slot for fastening said cover to the roller.

5. A covered roller construction comprising a sheet metal surface element formed as a cylinder and having opposed transverse peripheral edges disposed in spaced relation to provide a transverse peripheral slot, a transverse sheet metal element secured at said spaced edges radially inwardly of the periphery of the roller, said element having a well portion spaced radially inwardly from the opening and substantially in radial alinement therewith, a cover wrapped substantially around the roller and having a transverse end portion thereof formed with a loop and fitted into the slot, and a single securing element passed transversely through the loop within the aforesaid well to secure the cover to the roller at least at one end, said fastening element having an elongated cross-section narrower in one direction and wider in another direction than the Width of the slot.

6. The combination with a sheet metal roller formed with a transverse peripheral opening,

of a cover wrapped substantially around the roller, said cover having a transverse end portion thereof formed with a loop, said loop portion being distended and having a cross-sectional area wider in one direction and narrower in another direction than the width of the opening in the roller whereby the narrower loop portion may be inserted radially into the slot, said loop portion being adapted at its wider portion to engage the inner surface of the roller at the slot and serving as the sole means for securing the cover to the roller at least at said looped end. 7. A roller having a lengthwise pocket formed therein with a peripherally disposed entrance slot, a friction cover wrapping disposed around the roller with its ends arranged in the pocket, one end of the wrapping having a loop, and a bar located in the loop and adapted to occupy the pocket to lock said end of the-wrapping to the roller, saidbar having one dimension narrower than the slot and another dimension wider than the slot whereby to facilitate insertion of the bar carrying end of the wrapper into the pocket.

EDWARD J. SVOBODA. 

